Georgia crisis underlines need for Lisbon treaty

Hans-Gert Pöttering has called on EU members that have not yet ratified the Lisbon Treaty to do so as soon as possible.

Addressing EU leaders at the start of Monday’s emergency summit on Georgia, parliament’s president said that the crisis “dramatically underlined the necessity of the Lisbon treaty”.

Focusing on the issue of energy security, Pöttering reminded the heads of state and government that the EU is a community based on solidarity.

“This means that attempts by a third country to exert pressure on one member state affect the EU as a whole. Should one EU member state be faced with a threat to cut off its energy supplies, all the other Union member states would have a duty to support it.

“Solidarity between the member states in the energy sphere is a principle laid down in the Lisbon Treaty. For this reason as well, it is particularly important that the Lisbon Treaty should be ratified as quickly as possible.

“The European parliament calls upon all member states which have not yet ratified the Treaty to do so as soon as possible. The events in Georgia dramatically underline the necessity of the Lisbon Treaty.”

He went on to warn the EU to take measures to reduce its dependence on third countries, such as Russia,  for its energy supplies.

“It is vital both to increase our energy efficiency and to promote a balanced energy mix by investing in all sectors in a suitably balanced manner.

“Solidarity, as we as partners in the European Union should understand it, also implies that we should resolutely implement the European pipeline projects which have been decided.”

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